US
being a military superpower failed to win the Afghanistan war as there were
fundamental strategic problems that resulted in the present circumstances. The
US was sure of winning the 20 years long war but smoothly taking over most of
the Afghan soil and falling of quick Afghan government by the Taliban was not
expected. There was a huge criticism seen on President Joe Biden’s decision on
the end of military presence and withdrawal of logistics.
When
I read the criticism of the US think tank on Pakistan in the ongoing scenario
of Afghanistan. Just remember the pictures that went viral on social media when
the Taliban took over Kabul last year. The Taliban fighters were seen in
ordinary dresses while a US soldier was dressed up in a proper military uniform
with the complete gear of war. There was a huge difference in the cost between
what a Taliban fighter was wearing and what a US soldier had. The US was
spending billions of dollars in Afghanistan with a huge deployment of soldiers
there. But, what happened in Afghanistan? History has witnessed that the
Taliban defeated all the western powers with very limited resources. So, the
reaction of these think tanks is quite normal because they lost a war here even
after spending billions of dollars.
It
was quite obvious that the western media will blame Pakistan for its failure in
Afghanistan. Now, they are trying to damage the repute of Pakistan through
their negative propaganda and putting the onus on us. Attempts are being made
by the western world to hold Pakistan responsible for the Afghan fiasco. But
the story is altogether different and every sane mind believes that Pakistan is
the country that always played its role in bringing peace and stability to
Afghanistan. Pakistan is an important and responsible regional player and it
knows its worth too. Just have a look at the maiden visit of Pakistan’s new
Foreign Minister to the United States. He was warmly welcomed there because the
US knows very well the significance of Pakistan in the region. It was Pakistan
that played the key role in Doha Talks that took place between the US and the
Afghan Taliban. Pakistan prepared and convinced the Afghan Taliban to sit with
the US at the negotiating table which ultimately paved the way for the US exit
from the Afghan land. It is also a matter of fact that US Special
Representative Zalmay Khalilzad first used to land in Islamabad before going to
Kabul. He was an eyewitness to the Doha Talks and therefore he was very well
aware of Pakistan’s role in signing that historical document.
Pakistan
paid a heavy cost of this war on terror that had severely hit this region. We
sacrificed our soldiers, our mothers lost their children and our economy was
shattered due to this war. It will be remembered in world history that our
nation showed great resilience in bringing peace to the region. Our Generals
fought on the front lines in the difficult mountainous terrains to defeat the
hidden enemy but never compromised on the principles. Many proxies were
fighting on this toughest battlefield including India only to harm Pakistan.
India did a huge investment in Afghanistan only in the hatred of Pakistan but
still, India was the biggest loser in this whole saga of Afghanistan. When the
Taliban took over Kabul, the staff of the Indian embassy fled in the darkness
of night in utter embarrassment. It was a humiliating defeat for India in the
region.
Afghanistan
has a great history of empires where Great Britain and the Soviet Union have
fallen. Taliban have firm faith in Allah and their unshakable emaan led to this
victory. The criticism of the US’s decision is valid as the decision was
stemmed from the approach of military seizuring of international territory to
fight extremist ideologies and movements that were wrong. The political
dialogue was considered by most leaders more effective in the place of using
military force. Initially, it was seen that the US’s intervention in Iraq and
Afghanistan was justified to control and eliminate the serious national
security threats of weapons of mass destruction and Al-Qaeda. But with time,
after fulfilling the initial desired aim, it was changed into a long-term
approach for preventing future threats from these countries. It was planned to
provide security and stability to both nations in establishing the governments
in their respective countries.
Pakistan
and Afghanistan share a long history and a border spanning hundreds of
kilometres. The people of Pakistan and Afghanistan also share a close bond
knitted with a rich legacy, culture and civilization. There are hundreds of
people who cross the border between the two countries on daily basis. A large
number of Afghan refugees are residing in Pakistan for decades which shows the
hospitality of Pakistan towards its neighbours. The Afghan government alone is
unable to run the education and health sectors after the withdrawal of
international forces and the stoppage of funds.
It
is need of the hour that the international community should step forward to
help the Afghan community just on humanitarian grounds. Earlier, Afghan
surprised millions of people by defeating the western powers in their land and
now they are also surprising the western powers by respecting basic human
rights.Instead of blaming Pakistan, the western powers should engage with the
Taliban and appreciate the peace efforts of Pakistan. Pakistan is playing a
positive role in Afghanistan based on the principle of humanity but it is being
portrayed negatively by the spoilers and miscreants.
The
writer is Karachi based Post Doctorate who believes in freedom of expression, a
freelance columnist, entrepreneur and social activist.
Post a Comment